Disney Plus updates pricing and plans for 2026: Here’s what’s changed
Disney Plus in Australia doesn’t offer a free trial, unlike some other streaming services. But in April 2026, Disney Plus changed the subscription options and introduced a new, cheaper option with ads, priced at $9.99 per month. This is similar to the strategies of other streaming services including Netflix, Binge and Amazon Prime, which offer the lowest monthly price for subscriptions with ads. I’ve had (or currently have) subscriptions with all these services and can tell you the ads on some of them are more intrusive than others. But if you want to try Disney Plus for a month, the $9.99 subscription with ads is the cheapest way. Just make sure you cancel before the next payment if you decide it’s not for you.
Otherwise, the two Disney Plus subscriptions without ads remain the same, apart from updated pricing of $17.99 per month for a Standard subscription (previously $15.99). And $24.99 (previously $20.99) if you want a Premium subscription – which has higher video quality (up to 4K UHD and HDR video compared to 1080p Full HD video) and sound quality (up to Dolby Atmos compared to 5.1 surround).
Your guide to Disney Plus deals and perks
As someone with a lot of streaming subscriptions, I know the cost can add up, which is why we have rounded up the best Disney Plus deals, perks and ways to save – all tested by the Woman’s Day Deals Team. We draw on our skills, resources and network of trusted partners and sources, to find the latest deals, offers and other strategies to make your money go further (something I’ve got over 15 years of experience with as a personal finance journalist). As well as personally testing each deal before adding it here, we read the fine print for any key details, analyse the value and remove expired deals. Basically, we want it to be as easy as possible for you to save.
How to save 16% on your Disney Plus subscription
If you subscribe to a monthly plan, you can pay $17.99 a month for Disney Plus Standard or $24.99 a month for the Premium plan. But if you sign up (or switch) from a monthly to a yearly Disney Plus subscription, you’ll save 16% on this cost.
So you’d make a single payment of $179.99 for a yearly standard subscription or $249.99 for the premium subscription. Put another way, it’s like getting 12 months for the price of 10 (compared to paying monthly). All you have to do is choose the annual plan instead of the monthly plan when you’re signing up.
“Along with all the Disney classics, the streamer is in the habit of releasing new hits that will have you hooked from the very first episode.”
Chanelle Mansour, Shopping Editor
How good is this Disney Plus deal?
As someone who has a lot of streaming services (the average is 2.3 according to McCrindle Research and I have more – don’t judge!), I can tell you not all of them offer this kind of discount. Some don’t even give you a choice to pay annually. So this is a way Disney Plus offers value that you may not get elsewhere.
But a potential snag is if you want to cancel your plan mid-way through. While paying monthly means you could cancel at any time, paying yearly locks you in for 12 months.
Bottom line? If you know there are series and movies on Disney Plus that you want to watch, it’s great. But if not, you might want to start with a monthly subscription and see if you think it’s worth switching later.
I actually got a yearly subscription to Disney Plus a few years ago because of the savings compared to paying monthly. I’ve found the range of shows – especially The Bear, Abbott Elementary and Only Murders In The Building – have kept me coming back. Not to mention a few critically acclaimed movies here and there – my April viewing list includes the new-to-streaming movie Is This Thing On, starring Laura Dern, and a timely re-watch of The Devil Wears Prada in preparation for the second movie. And of course, Disney Plus has plenty of fun Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars content.
Can you save more on the Disney Plus subscription with ads?
Unfortunately, the Disney Plus Standard with Ads subscription is only available for monthly billing. This means you’ll pay $9.99 each month with this subscription, which adds up to $119.88 per year. So it’s still cheaper than the other subscriptions, even if you choose to pay annually for one of them. But whether or not the ads are worth it is a matter of preference.
Five more ways to get value with Disney Plus
- EnergyAustralia offer: You can get 12 months of Disney Plus standard included if you keep your electricity plan with EnergyAustralia for the same amount of time. But given the cost of electricity can vary a lot between providers and plans, it’s a good idea to do a quick check of how EnergyAustralia compares to others using the government’s Energy Made Easy website.
- Extra Member: Disney Plus offers a lower rate of $7.99 per month for people who are added as Extra Members to an existing membership plan. This is a great way to save if you know a family member or friend who already subscribes to Disney Plus. Extra Members can stream on on device and get their own profile – so if you wanted to be really equal, you could share the cost of the main subscription and this one and would both save compared to paying separately.
- Disney+ Perks: Disney Plus sometimes has exclusive promotions and benefits for subscribers that can add value. For example, they’ve previously offered special access to discounted Beauty and the Beast musical tickets, and ran a competition where you could win a trip to Disneyland Resort.
- Qantas Points: If you’re a new Disney Plus subscriber and a member of Qantas Frequent Flyer, you can earn 5 points per $1 on your subscription through the Qantas Online Mall. It’s not much, but for serious points-chasers, every point (and dollar) counts.
- Save time on paying bills with Telstra: If you have a Telstra account, you can add Disney Plus to your billing account, which might make it easier to keep track of all your payments.
- New customer offers: Disney Plus does sometimes offer deals for new customers – I saw one in June 2025 that offered $4.99 for four months. So if you haven’t subscribed – or if someone else in your household hasn’t subscribed before – you could wait til one of these offers comes around.
Other membership and partner offers
There aren’t any available right now, but Disney Plus sometimes partners with other brands and platforms to offer limited-time discounts. Last year, for example, Westfield offered members a Disney Plus deal of $3.99 per month for the first three months. This deal was available until July 30, 2025 for new and returning Disney Plus subscribers. I’ve got my eyes open for more deals like this and will keep you posted here.
Remember, we’ve got our eyes open to find the latest Disney Plus deals and offers. So when we find them, we’ll put them here for you.
